Father's Eyes
by Komui-sama
Summary: Senomaru is a young dog demon that just lost his mother to Naraku. Wanting revenge, he meets Inuyasha and his friends, joining them on their quest to find Naraku. However, how will they all react when they learn that Senomaru is Sesshoumaru's son?
1. Tears of Snow

**Disclaimer:** All my disclaimers are on my profile. I do not own Inuyasha.

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><p>Naraku smirked. Kagura and Hakudoshi followed in his footsteps, without a clue as to what they were doing in such a place. It was cold, so cold in fact that it was snowing. The snow was deep and only small patches of grass could be seen throughout the vast landscape.<p>

Standing on a snowy cliff staring out into the ocean stood a female dog demon. She had beautiful long dirty white hair that flowed as swiftly as the ocean. She wore a black mokomoko that wrapped around the back of her neck and tucked neatly under her arms. As she turned around to face the approaching hanyou, her bright amber eyes met his. She wore a red and gold headband across her forehead which signified she was royalty of some sort. She wore a woman's type of warrior clothing that covered only her chest and waist area, underneath having bandages to cover up her skin. On her arms and thighs she wore women's armour guards as well as black thigh high boots that gave her both comfort and easy access to manoeuvre in.

"You must be Naraku…" she said calmly. Her voice was strong but gentle as she spoke. As Naraku stopped in front of her, he signalled Kagura and Hakudoshi to wait. The dog demoness gripped her hands tight around the sheath of her sword as she waited for Naraku to speak.

"So you've heard of me?" the cunning hanyou replied.

"It is very difficult to keep your identity a secret, especially in the heart of the Western Lands." She replied.

Naraku grinned. "What can I call you, dog demon?" he asked in a sinister manner.

"Midori" she quickly replied.

Naraku grinned again, even more sinister than before. Finally, he had found her. The great dog demoness Midori. It had taken him nearly four months to track her down, but finally he found her. Midori's father was a trusted comrade of Inu no Taishou. They were like brothers in arms. Midori's family carried a very rare, unique trinket that holds an extreme amount of power. It was this trinket that Naraku wanted.

"Hand over your family's trinket and I might consider letting you go…" Naraku demanded.

"This trinket has been in my family for centuries…do you really think I'm just going to _hand_ it over to you?" she snarled back.

Naraku narrowed his gaze. One of his tentacles that were coming out of his back came at her. Midori quickly pulled out her sword and chopped it off, though it quickly regenerated.

"It appears that you were prepared for this…" he said, staring at the demoness.

Midori simply smirked before running her fingers along her sword. The sword lit on fire with a blue and black flame. She went to strike at him, but he simply jumped into the air, dodging the attack. She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Even if you managed to kill me and steal the trinket, you wouldn't be able to wield it. It requires a fully fledged demon to use its power…"

"Oh contraire, I'm sure I could trick a demon into using its power for me…"

Kagura sent her dance of blades towards Midori. With barely any effort, Midori swung her sword and dispersed the attack. Kagura frowned as Hakudoshi laughed at her failed attempt.

Naraku chuckled, and then caught the scent of something or someone close by. It had a similar smell to that of Sesshoumaru, though not quite the same.

Midori froze as she smelt it too. Quickly she dashed away from the three intruders. Kagura and Hakudoshi looked up towards Naraku who had a devilish smile smeared across his face.

Running towards the scent, Midori's confidence and boldness turned into a worrisome and concerned look as she edged closer and closer. Already she knew this was bad. Naraku's scent disappeared which made her worry even more.

At a small clearing by a frozen river, Midori saw a young dog demon boy leaning against a tree. Her face was a little relieved, but still the thought of Naraku's scent disappearing kept her senses up.

"Senomaru…I thought I told you not to leave the compound until I returned…" she demanded.

"I needed some fresh air Midori…" Senomaru replied.

Midori sighed as she walked over to him. "How many times have I asked you to call me mother?"

Suddenly, from behind, Naraku's scent appeared again but his two companions were no longer seen with him. Midori feared the worse. Ambush? Or perhaps preparing for something more. Naraku floated in the air for a bit before touching the ground. He looked at the boy who now stood next to Midori. He had a remarkable resemblance to Sesshoumaru. His hair was white and long, reaching to the back of his knees. He wore a kimono which has a violet chrysanthemum flower crest at the collar and sleeves symbolising royalty, very similar to that of Sesshoumaru's except the flowers attached along the sleeves in a vine-like fashion. Like Sesshoumaru he wears a Sashinuki Hakama and flat point violet high-ankle boots. Like Midori, he wears a red and gold headband on his forehead which covers the Prussian blue crescent moon. Unlike Sesshoumaru, the stripes drip down from his eyes onto his cheeks in a tear like fashion and has a blue-violet colour compared to the magenta that Sesshoumaru has. The boy stared at Naraku with his amber eyes, identical to his mothers.

Naraku smirked as he finished inspecting the boy. Midori felt the presence he gave off so stood between her son and Naraku.

"Your son has a remarkable resemblance to that of Lord Sesshoumaru. Lord of the Western Lands. However, Sesshoumaru doesn't strike me as family man…" Naraku stopped in the middle of his sentence. He thought of the little girl that travels with him. If Sesshoumaru was related to this boy, could it be he does not know?

"I don't have to reveal anything to the likes of you!" Midori said fiercely as she pointed her flaming sword towards him.

Naraku growled a little. He didn't like having secrets kept from him. Across the frozen river, another dance of blades came rushing towards Midori. She turned to block, but sensed Hakudoshi charging towards her with his spear from the forest behind. Before he could pierce her, he was stopped. The boy had intervened and held strongly onto the spear that would've pierced his mother.

Naraku watched on with great interest. Who was this boy? The boy's claw-like fingernails then grew about 30cm in length and turned into a very shiny creamy-silver colour. The moonlight from above made them appear extremely sharp as he raised his free hand, ready to strike at the child Hakudoshi. He quickly jumped back to avoid the attack and snarled under his breath.

Midori smiled then swung her sword side-ways towards the forest where the dance of blades came from. The flames formed a crescent energy blast that cut down the trees ahead. Up in the sky, Kagura was floating on one of her feathers. She held onto her arm which was now injured from the attack. Midori then redirected her attention back to Naraku. She could see in his eyes that he was getting impatient, but she wasn't about to comply with his intentions.

Naraku raised his arm and a dark cloud formed high above him. Hundreds of demons started pouring out. Surely Naraku knew that they would be like killing flies for her. Midori raised her sword and sent another fiery energy blast towards them. As they fell to the ground, miasma started pouring out of their bodies. Midori raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was Naraku planning to do? Hakudoshi whistled and Entei flew down from the dark cloud. Hakudoshi got on the fiery horse and flew high into the sky next to Kagura. The miasma spread, killing the trees and plants that were nearby. It had little to no effect against Midori and Senomaru though.

Midori ran to attack Naraku but was blocked against his barrier that he just put up. She growled under her breath then jumped back. The miasma was creating a thick fog. It became difficult to see anything other than black figures and shapes.

"Senomaru, stay close…" she whispered. Senomaru came over and stood behind Midori, claws ready in case something/someone were to attack.

Naraku's laugh echoed throughout the fog. Midori's senses were on high alert, especially with her son so close by.

In an instant, Naraku appeared in front of her. One of his thorns from his armour detached and plunged itself towards Midori. She blocked it with her sword, but that wasn't it. Naraku raised his hand and his fingers grew into long tentacles that pierced the side of Midori. She didn't seem affected at first, then her eyes widened. She quickly threw back the long jagged thorn and cut off the tentacles, which again, quickly regenerated. Even though it only opened up a small wound, she could feel the miasma seeping into her. Building up on demonic energy, Midori went to strike at Naraku with a large blast of black fire. Naraku put up his barrier, but still jumped back. This gave Midori the time she needed to turn to her son.

"This is going to get dangerous…I need you to run…" she said in concern, quickly kneeling down to come face-to-face with her son.

"But I can help!" he remarked.

"This is no time to argue! I want you to RUN and don't stop until you're safe…"

"But…"

"Senomaru. If this demon finds you again, he'll kill you!"

Senomaru paused and narrowed his eyes as he looked at his desperate mother. He knew this battle would not end quickly, so complied with her demand. As he turned to run, he saw his mother mouth off 'I love you…' which sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn't a shiver of fear, but a shiver of concern. Midori was strong, but was she strong enough to face off against Naraku? He wasn't about to turn and run, not until he got what he came for.

Senomaru ran further and further into the forest. He heard something, but what was it? He got to a point where miasma no longer reached. He looked up and saw that Kagura was following him. She was probably sent by Naraku to kill him. Senomaru had no choice but to use his instincts, for his mothers' sake. He ran towards a river that was not frozen over. He jumped in, than back out, flying just above the rivers water. Eventually, the river led to a waterfall in which Senomaru, following the river, fell to the bottom (or what it looked like to Kagura, fell to his death). Kagura stopped above the waterfall. She didn't see him come out of the water after he fell. Was the boy dead? No. Kagura knew that wouldn't kill a demon of his standing, even if he was just a kid.

"Smart boy…" Kagura said aloud. Mixture of the water and snow that was falling masked his scent. If he was smart, he could be miles away by now, which Kagura thought was the case.

"I see you managed to lose the young demon…" Hakudoshi snickered.

"What's it to you?" Kagura growled. She wasn't happy being treated the way she was by this Hakudoshi, but she had no choice but to obey. As long as Naraku had a hold of her life, she could never be free.

* * *

><p>Kagome, Shippo, Miroku and Sango were all feeling a little run-down. Okay, '<em>a little run-down<em>' was an understatement. Inuyasha practically worked them to the bone. It had been four months and they still had no clue as to where Naraku was. There were only 2 remaining jewel shards, so the gang were getting desperate.

"Inuyasha, we really need a break! I think the blisters on my feet just bursted…" Miroku complained.

Inuyasha looked back at the others who were falling behind. He growled before finally turning around and gesturing them to sit on a fallen log.

"Alright, but we're only stopping for a few minutes, then we'll head off!" Inuyasha demanded. The others growled under their breath but made sure Inuyasha didn't hear. The last thing they wanted was to start a huge, pointless argument with Inuyasha.

The days seemed to last longer than usual or perhaps it was just Inuyasha pushing them to walk further as each day passed.

"Kagome…do you think we'll be able to find the remaining jewel shards before Naraku?" Shippo asked with tired eyes.

Kagome giggled a little before answering. "Don't worry Shippo; as long as we don't give up, we'll be right!"

"And besides, we have Kagome, what does Naraku have?" Sango added to the conversation, smiling as she looked at the innocent fox kit.

Shippo smiled back before closing his eyes, resting in Kagome's arms. Inuyasha snarled. His impatience always got the better of him.

It was time for the gang to head off again, not that they all wanted to. The day went by rather fast and by the time the group reached a small town, it was already late afternoon. It was amazing how far they could travel all in a day's work (and Inuyasha's eagerness to push forward).

"Alright Inuyasha, you've dragged us across nearly half the country! It's time we stopped for a decent place to rest…" Miroku demanded.

"And bathe…" Sango added before sighing. Kagome and Shippo also nodded in agreement.

Although Inuyasha was against the whole idea, he did admit he had been dragging them around quite a distance, not having a proper meal or bath in nearly 2 weeks. So for once, he compromised and with only a little bit of argument, they went into town. Miroku investigated and found the richest house in the village and claimed a demon had been hiding there and he would be happy to rid them of the demon if they supplied a place to sleep and food for the night (and of course, ladies).

"Up to his old tricks as usual…" Inuyasha said bluntly.

"Yep." Everyone agreed.

Inside the mansion, Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Shippo laid on the ground in relief. They finally had decent food in their bellies and Kagome and Sango were squeaky clean after a good ol' bath. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the others relaxed. Not too long after the group settled in, someone was knocking at the door. Miroku sat up and told the newcomer to come in. A young girl walked in, a maid by the look of her clothes. Miroku immediately jumped at the chance.

"Would you bare my children?" He asked in his usual perverted manner. Before the woman had a chance to respond, Miroku was knocked out by Sango's Hiraikotsu.

"Don't mind him, he asks that to every woman he meets…" Kagome said, giggling, trying not to scare the woman.

"Oh it's alright…" the woman compromised."My name is Moe Higushi. Pleased to meet you all." She said calmly, then bowing to the others.

Kagome smiled before speaking. "Nice to meet you Moe-san. My name is Kagome! This here is Shippo, over there is Miroku and Sango and the cat demon Kirara! Oh and over there is Inuyasha." Kagome replied, gesturing to each one of her friends as she said their name.

"Did you want something?" Kagome asked concerned.

"Oh, I don't mean to speak out of terms…it's just…most of the other villages are afraid to speak up…" Moe began. "Are you…um…Demon Slayers?" she hesitantly asked.

Kagome waited a moment then took a breath before speaking. "Well, not exactly…We're actually trying to locate the remaining jewel shards of the Shikon Jewel. We're also trying to catch a hanyou named Naraku…"

"Naraku?" Moe asked surprised.

"Yes…have you heard of him?"

Inuyasha looked over at the maid. Just hearing Naraku's name makes him twitch. He came over and sat next to Kagome, joining in the conversation. Moe looked around uncomfortably, fidgeting with her dress. Finally, with a scared and worrisome look in her eye, she spoke.

"About 3 days travel from here…across the mountain towards the western sea it is known as the heart of the Western Lands. Barely any humans venture there as it is demon's territory…" Moe took a deep breath. "A village closer to the mountain than we are, was attacked not too long ago. We sent our best men, but they only found one survivor. A young girl...me."

Kagome gasped. Of course, Kagome was concerned for her and hoped that she was okay.

"I don't quite remember much, but I remember a small boy with white hair and a girl that flew on a feather…"

Immediately, everyone thought of Hakudoshi and Kagura. What would they be doing so far out? Kagome knew there was no jewel shard here. If anything, she felt as though they were getting further away from any jewel shards.

"They said they needed to find the demon Midori for their master, Naraku…" Moe finished.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, then towards Sango and Miroku. They were getting close now; finally they had something to go on.

"Do you know anything about this demon named Midori?" Sango asked, hoping to get more information.

"I'm sorry…if you want to know more, you would have to ask a demon." Moe finished. She sighed in disappointment, feeling as though she had let them down.

Kagome smiled at the innocent girl. She was obviously still hurt by the attack and felt that she would help get justice for those that died in the village.

"Thank you. This really helps us a lot…don't worry; I promise we'll do everything we can to get justice for your village…" Kagome gestured.

Moe looked up at Kagome with hopeful eyes, and then managed to say "Really?" before bursting into tears. Kagome stood up and hugged the crying girl. Inuyasha too got up and pulled off a smile. 'I'm coming for you, Naraku' he thought to himself, standing strong.

The sun eventually set and day turned into night. It was only a half moon, but it still shed light to the village. Everyone was peacefully sleeping, except for Inuyasha. He sat outside on the porch looking up at the stars. He had many things running through his head at that moment, but one in particular really got his attention. Inuyasha had only heard rumours, but he had a feeling it was true. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's half brother, lived in the heart of the Western Lands. He also remembered Myoga telling stories of his father that lived in the Western Lands. Who was this Midori and what did Naraku want with her? Did any of it have anything to do with Inu no Taishou?

Finally, Inuyasha couldn't take the many questions that ran through his head. He shook it off, and then returned to his room. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, which was good. They all needed to rest. Especially if they were to run into Naraku once again.

By morning, everyone had said their goodbyes and were heading off to this so called 'heart of the western lands'. Inuyasha kept his senses up, hoping to catch a scent of Naraku, but still, there was nothing.

* * *

><p>Senomaru searched and searched. It had been four days since he last saw his mother, after that fateful night. He couldn't find any trace of her. He kept on searching, but all hope seemed lost. Finally, he had one last look around the area where he last saw Midori. Again, nothing. However, before he turned to leave, he noticed something buried in the snow. As he walked over, he brushed away the snow and found a hand - Midori's hand. Quickly digging at the snow, he finally pulled out Midori's lifeless body.<p>

"Mother…" Senomaru whispered under his breath. That would have to have been the second time he ever called her that, perhaps his one regret. He recalled her saying 'I love you…' when he left. This caused a tear to come to his eyes. Demons hated crying, even young children, so he quickly wiped it away.

He looked at her neck. The necklace was missing. She always wore a beaded necklace that had a pink 'yang' dangling from it. It was this, which Naraku killed her for. Senomaru's cold, amber eyes were full of sadness. What was he to do now? He had nowhere to go, no other family to turn to. He knew who his father was, but his father had no idea he existed, he couldn't possibly look for him. Senomaru held onto Midori's cold, lifeless hand. Without a clue as to where to go, he sat there, refusing to leave his mother's body, even if he froze.


	2. A Chance Encounter

Inuyasha and his friends didn't stay too long in the attacked village. Moe was right. It was a massacre. No survivors. Nothing but dead bodies covered in blood and burned down houses. Out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw a demon picking at the remains of the dead humans. It was a small rabbit demon (had the lower body and ears of a rabbit, face and torso of a boy – a little taller than Shippo – fur as white as snow).

"Oi! Rabbit!" Inuyasha called out before jumping over to the small demon. Quickly, his friends followed behind him.

"AHHH! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The demon started bowing frantically. "My family is very hungry and we haven't eaten in days! So I thought I could just take some of these human's left over vegetables and, and…" Inuyasha quickly picked up the demon by its ears and clapped his hand over the rabbit's mouth.

"Jeesh, he sure can talk a lot…" Inuyasha complained.

"Aww, he's so cute!" Kagome said with heart-filled eyes.

"He's a demon; maybe he can tell us something about this so called demon named Midori…?" Miroku suggested.

Inuyasha nodded then removed his hands from the rabbit's mouth.

"Hey Rabbit, do you know anything about a demon named Midori?" Inuyasha asked demandingly.

The rabbit's eyes widened before speaking. "M-Midori?" The young demon thought for a moment. "If I tell you all I know, will you let me live?"

"Hmmm…I'll think about it…" Inuyasha said sheepishly.

"SIT BOY!" Kagome yelled.

"Ack!" THUD! Inuyasha hit the ground rather hard, letting go of the rabbit demon.

"Don't worry; we're not going to hurt you. We're just looking for answers…" Miroku said reassuringly.

The rabbit demon walked over to Kagome and gave her a bow. "Thank you so much human priestess…" he said, then stared up into Kagome's eyes.

"My name is Lossy! I'm a rabbit demon!" Lossy said, gaining more confidence. "You said you wanted to know about the demoness Midori correct?" he asked, turning towards the others.

"Yeah, do you know where she is?" Shippo asked, jumping down from Kagome's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but, I'm the wrong demon to ask…however, there is an old, wise dragon that lives in a cave on the snowy mountain. He's very old so he is very kind and gentle. He can tell you pretty much anything you want to know about Midori!"

"Really? Can you take us to him?" Kagome asked happily.

"Of course!" Lossy replied. "His name is Ragnov. He knows everything!"

Inuyasha snarled. This scared Lossy and made him run behind Kagome.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began. Inuyasha flinched, getting ready for her to say those god awful words. It took a moment before Inuyasha realised his face wasn't connecting with the ground. He turned towards Kagome who just stared at him. He relaxed, realising she wasn't going to say it.

"…Sit boy!"

THUD! "Ack!" Everyone stepped over Inuyasha and made their way, following the little rabbit demon. Inuyasha looked up, face covered with dirt, and snarled at the rabbit demon. In turn, the rabbit turned around and poked his tongue out at Inuyasha. 'Once this is over…I'll kill him!' Inuyasha thought to himself.  
>Rising to his feet, Inuyasha quickly caught up with the others as they made their way to the dragon's cave on top of the mountain.<p>

It didn't take long for the group to reach the dragon's cave. The snow sent cold shivers down everyone spine, including Inuyasha's.

"HELLOOOO, Ragnov…Are you sleeping?" Lossy called out, his voice echoing through the cave.

"Who goes there?" A very deep and stern voice called from the darkness.

"It's me! Lossy! Oh, and I bought a few friends that are in need of your wisdom…"

The ground started to shake and small rocks fell from the ceiling. Everyone took a step back as a large, black dragon head came into the light. He had beautiful black scales and red eyes that made him look very strong and fierce.

"Lossy, you know I don't like being disturbed during my time of rest…" he said in a slow deep tone.

"Sorry, but, they really need your help! So…can you?"

Ragnov sighed. "Travellers, what is it you want to know?"

Miroku stepped forward, clearing his throat. "We wish to learn about the demoness Midori…"

The old dragon chuckled a little. His eyes shifted and they became more pleasant, and less terrifying.

"Midori is a royal dog demon. She is very strong, and very powerful. One you would not want to mess with. Her family has carried a sacred trinket over many centuries. The trinket holds great power, power that if it fell into the wrong hands, nothing but death and suffering could come of it…"

"Hmm…" Miroku thought for a moment. "Perhaps the trinket is what Naraku was after?" he asked, directing the question to nobody in particular.

"Where does she live?" Inuyasha finally asked.

"She lives in the heart of the western lands…in a large compound where she is raising her son…"

"Her son?" Kagome repeated.

"Yes. His name is Senomaru. He is referred to as 'The Great Lords Son' as he is the offspring of a great dog demon, though; very few people know who the _Great Lord_ is. Midori is very protective of her son, as he is the only family she has…"

"Thank you for this information…" Miroku then bowed and gestured to his friends it was time to go. Inuyasha was the first one out of the cave. Lossy was jumping up and down waving goodbye to his new friends. The others turned and waved as they left down the side of the mountain. The dragon sunk back into the darkness of his cave, smiling as the travellers left.

As the group approached further and further into the heart of the western lands, snow began overwhelming them. Finally, snow actually began falling lightly. Kagome pulled out three blankets from her bag and offered two for Miroku and Sango then put the third one over herself.

The only sounds that could be heard were the trees blowing in the wind and the chattering of teeth from the coldness. As day turned into night, temperatures dropped even more. The group decided it would be a good time to rest and so, set up camp. They all sat around a well-lit fire, all having their hands spread out, trying to keep warm.

"You don't think Naraku got to Midori first, do you?" Sango asked.

Everyone went silent. They all hoped they were wrong, but the chances of Naraku finding Midori first were high. Especially after the story Moe had told them.

As everyone began falling asleep. Inuyasha remained the only one awake. His ear twitched as he heard the snap of a twig close by. He quickly stood up and placed his hand around his sword's sheath. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he tried to listen for the noise. A fast figure ran past, running in a different direction. Inuyasha immediately took off, following the stranger. Inuyasha hoped it would be Naraku, but those chances were very slim and the fact his scent was nowhere around meant that he couldn't be close by. Eventually, Inuyasha and the shadowed figure ran into a clearing. Inuyasha smirked as he pulled out Tessaiga.

"Hah! Gotcha!" he yelled.

Inuyasha immediately stopped as he saw a young, demon boy standing at the tip of his blade.

"What the-? Who are you?" Inuyasha asked, immediately putting Tessaiga back in its sheath.

"My name is Senomaru. What are you doing on these lands hanyou?" Senomaru quickly snapped back.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He hated being called a hanyou, even worse when he's called that by a young child who looked no more than 12 years of age. Suddenly, Inuyasha realised who the demon boy was.

"Hey, you're the son of Midori right? Where is she?" Inuyasha demanded. Out from the forest behind them came the others, woken by the commotion Inuyasha caused.

Kagome, Miroku and Sango stood behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha immediately knew what they were going to ask, so saved their breath by telling them.

"This is Senomaru. I caught him sneaking around our camp…"

Senomaru's eyes narrowed, staring at the cocky hanyou. Quickly, he turned his attention to Miroku, Sango and Kagome, realising they were all humans.

"What are _humans_ doing on demon territory?" Senomaru hissed.

Kagome looked at him. She saw something nobody else did. His whole body and face may have acted strong and on guard, but his eyes showed nothing but sadness. Something must've happened, and Kagome was itching to know what it was. She hated seeing people around her upset, especially young children, even if he is a demon she just met. Demon or human, it didn't matter to her. Kagome gestured to Inuyasha to stay back and she would take over.

"We're sorry, we don't mean to intrude. The truth is, we're looking for a demon named Naraku and we heard Midori may know something…" Kagome said, in a calm reassuring manner.

Senomaru's eyes widened. Sadness turned to anger. He put his head down, letting his hair fall on his face. It went silent. In the distance, a few birds flew out from the trees, but that was about the only noise that was made. Inuyasha looked at Kagome who had her usual 'concern' look which meant they were going to get involved in something he wouldn't like.  
>Inuyasha stared at the boy. He had a very similar look and scent about him, something that Inuyasha didn't quite like. Of course, given the situation, and Kagome almost looking like she was ready to run up and hug the boy, Inuyasha said nothing, but he had the feeling Miroku and Sango were thinking the same thing as he was.<p>

Senomaru looked up at Kagome, and then turned his attention to Inuyasha.

"You're too late hanyou…Midori is dead. Naraku murdered her four nights ago." He said, then turning around to leave.

"Wait!" Kagome called out. Senomaru stopped and turned to face the human girl.

"We're sorry about your mother…" she said sincerely.

Senomaru was shocked. "I didn't tell you she was my mother…"

"No, the dragon from the snowy mountain, Ragnov, told us…" Miroku added.

"It doesn't matter…there's nothing that can be done about it…" Senomaru said in a sad, soft tone.

It was the first time in a while that Inuyasha felt sympathy for the boy. He remembered when he lost his mother. It was a frightening and cold time. Constantly having to do what was necessary to survive.

It was an awkward silence between them. Kagome didn't know what to do to comfort the boy. Miroku, Sango and even Inuyasha could see that.  
>Inuyasha finally stepped forward to speak.<p>

"Look, we're trying to find Naraku to kill him. So we'll get revenge for your mother…" Inuyasha said, trying to sound reassuring.

Senomaru smirked. "You? A hanyou…is going to kill Naraku?" The thought of the idea made Senomaru laugh softly. Inuyasha frowned. All sympathy towards the boy just went out the window. Kagome had to quickly step in front and push Inuyasha back to stop him from doing something stupid.

Miroku then stepped forward to speak. "Midori…she carried a sacred trinket? Did Naraku get his hands on it?" Miroku asked, very concerned.

Senomaru looked at the monk. He thought for a moment before finally answering him. Everyone stared, all with worried faces as they waited for the boy to respond.

"Yes…"

Everyone sighed in fear.

"But…Naraku won't be able to use it…"

They all stared at Senomaru with question marks hovering over their heads and hope-filled eyes.

"Only a fully-fledged demon can use it…and besides…he only has one half of it. There are two halves to it, and only once they're combined can you use the sacred power…"

"The way you said that…My guess is Naraku does not know it has two parts to it?" Miroku asked.

"No…at least…not yet. If he is to find the second half, he will need to look for me." Senomaru finished.

Everyone looked at each other. They knew Naraku would figure it out eventually, and when he did, he won't be too happy having to go on another wild goose chase. Something suddenly clicked in Miroku.

"Hey, Inuyasha…" Miroku said, turning towards Inuyasha.

"Yeah?"

"This boy needs protection against Naraku and since he will learn soon enough that he needs the second half of the trinket to use the power, he will come looking for Senomaru. Which means, if we take him with us, we'll be leading Naraku straight to us…?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, but stopped when the sound of laughter coming from Senomaru rang through his ears.

"You? Protect me? That's ridiculous…I'd have a better chance of surviving on my own!" he said in between laughs.

Inuyasha growled before walking over to the boy. His tolerance finally hit the roof. Before he had a chance to speak, his face was connecting with the floor.

"Sit boy!" THUD! "Ka…go…me…"

"Senomaru…" Kagome began in a heartfelt voice. "We need your help in finally catching Naraku…please" Kagome finished, cupping her hands together.

Senomaru stared at the human girl. If his mother didn't survive against Naraku, there was no way he could get revenge on his own. Perhaps the only way was to go with this pack. It's true, he didn't like the fact he would be getting protection from a hanyou, three humans, fox kit and a cat demon, but he had nowhere else to go. Sure enough, once Naraku learned that he had the second piece of the trinket, he would come after him. With this in mind, Senomaru finally turned to the group.

"Fine. I'll come with you. But let me get one thing straight…in no way will I ever consider any of you one of my companions. This may be the only way to get revenge for my mother's death…nothing more, nothing less." He finished.

Miroku sighed. 'Children can be so stubborn sometimes…' he thought to himself. Kagome walked up to the boy and touched his shoulder and nodded. Inuyasha finally got up out of the snow with a snarl on his face.

The group walked back to their camp and sat, once again, around the well-lit fire, making sure to keep warm. The group now had an extra companion travelling with them and were now one step closer to finding Naraku.

* * *

><p>As Sesshoumaru returned to his companions from his usual patrol, something made him twitch. He looked up into the night sky and felt as though something terrible had happened, but had no idea what it was. He quickly shrugged it off and returned to where his servant Jaken and ward Rin were sleeping. Sesshoumaru was careful not to wake either of them up.<p>

As it got further into the night, Sesshoumaru's senses were alerted when he sensed something in the distance. Naraku. Quickly pulling out Tokijin, Sesshoumaru raced off into the forest towards Naraku's scent. Stopping at the edge of a river, he saw Naraku sitting on the opposite side under his baboon pelt.

"Your senses are as sharp as ever, Lord Sesshoumaru…" Naraku snickered.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze. What did Naraku want this time?

Naraku pulled out Midori's necklace, dangling it from his hands. "Recognise it?" he said sheepishly.

Sesshoumaru stared at the necklace for a moment. He did recognise it but made sure it didn't turn into an expression on his face. 'Midori…' he thought to himself. What was Naraku doing with her sacred trinket? Did that mean Naraku just killed her?

"My curiosity got the better of me, which is why I came looking for you, Lord Sesshoumaru…"

Sesshoumaru still said nothing. He still had a cold, heartless expression across his face, waiting for Naraku to speak.

Naraku smirked. "I found out something that may interest you…" Naraku paused for a moment. "Midori has a son…"

"Why would that interest me?"

"Because, he looks a lot like you…"

Sesshoumaru unconsciously widened his eyes slightly in shock.

"By the expression on your face…it tells me that there is a slight chance he is yours?" Naraku began laughing.

Sesshoumaru's expression went back to normal. He then jumped over the river and slashed at the baboon pelt. As usual, it was nothing more than a puppet. The body disappeared into dust, along with Midori's necklace.

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. He hadn't seen Midori in over 100 years. It's true, they did mate back then, but they were young, they weren't in love, at least, that's how Sesshoumaru thought of it. 'What was Naraku's purpose for telling me this…?' he thought. Sesshoumaru made his way back to Jaken and Rin. This time, he had too much on his mind to bother with being quiet. Jaken and Rin woke up as Sesshoumaru returned.

"M'lord! You're back!" Rin shouted with excitement.

"Ah! Lord Sesshoumaru! What's the matter M'lord? You look troubled…" Jaken exclaimed.

"Jaken…"

"Ack! Yes…M'lord?"

"Look after Rin while I am gone."

"Yes M'lord, but, uh, where is it you're going?" The little green imp asked curiously.

"None of your concern…" Sesshoumaru's words were cold and harsh, ending the conversation. With that, Sesshoumaru took off in flight, heading towards his homeland; the heart of the western lands. Usually Sesshoumaru never let whatever Naraku said get to him, but this time Sesshoumaru really did take interest.

Was Naraku just making up stories to get inside Sesshoumaru's head? Or was it actually true? Whatever it was, Naraku obviously did it for his own gain. Sesshoumaru knew that, but he still continued his journey to find out the truth.


	3. Trapped

"_You're late…" Midori said angrily. She was leaning against a tree, tapping her foot on the firm snow that lay beneath her feet._

"_We agreed 'early morning' not crack of dawn…" Sesshoumaru snapped back. "Besides, you could've woken me when you were leaving…"_

"_Then I wouldn't be able to scold you like I am now…" she said with a slight smirk at the end. _

_Sesshoumaru grew annoyed, so ignored her taunts and continued walking into the clearing. His emotionless expression was cold and bitter. His presence was something to be feared, unless you wanted a quick death. Midori followed on behind, breathing in the cool air and watching the birds that flew above them. It may have snowed the previous night, but the day was going to be beautiful and warm. Just what the heart of the Western Lands needed. _

_The two dog demons stopped in an open clearing where they would go to train every day. _

"_That's new…" Midori said looking at the new sword Sesshoumaru had attached to his waist band._

"_It's the Tenseiga my father left me…" he sharply replied."I found it on a tree not too long ago…"_

"_I thought that was a sword of healing? So why did Inu no Taishou leave it to you? You must've been a really bad child…" she snickered. _

_Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze then charged towards the snickering demoness, claws at the ready, poison seeping out from his demonic talons. Midori quickly pulled out her sword and blocked the attack. _

"_So what do you plan to do now?" Midori asked as she flipped backwards, out of his reach. _

_Sesshoumaru looked to the ground for a moment, then back towards Midori. He charged at her again, talons ready to pierce her. Midori also charged and the two clashed. Jumping back she quickly ran her fingers along her sword that now lit a blue and black flame. She went to strike, but Sesshoumaru quickly dodged. Midori raised her sword and quickly struck downwards, unleashing a blast of demonic black flame energy. Sesshoumaru quickly dodged again and watched as the blast continued on, destroying the trees and rocks in its path. He then redirected his attention back at Midori. He charged at her once again, this time, as she blocked his poisoned hand, he used his free hand to punch her in the chest which sent her flying backwards and crash into a tree. _

_As he walked over to the defeated demoness, he held out his hand, offering help to get off the ground. Midori snarled under her breath then took his hand and stood up. _

"_I will take my father's place as Lord of the Western Lands…" he said simply. _

_Midori looked over at Sesshoumaru before sighing. "I guess that means you will be leaving?" _

_Sesshoumaru nodded. There was a moment of silence between the two. The two demons continued training long into the day. Finally, they decided to rest for a moment as they saw the sun beginning to set. Midori unconsciously rubbed her stomach and stopped only when she saw Sesshoumaru looking at her curiously._

"_I'm feeling a bit hungry! Let's go get something to eat…" she quickly snapped, then began walking away. _

_Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of her arm, which forced her to turn around towards him. They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment before speaking. _

"_Are you hiding something from me?" Sesshoumaru asked with his usual expressionless tone. _

"_Are you really interrogating me?" She threatened. Sesshoumaru then let go of her arm and let her take a step back. He turned around and began walking in the opposite direction. His hair bounced smoothly as the powerful dog demon walked away from his homeland. Midori couldn't help but give a small smile._

"_Goodbye…Lord Sesshoumaru…"_

_Sesshoumaru turned his head to look at Midori as he was leaving. He didn't say anything, but she knew it was his way of saying goodbye. _

_Until she could no longer see the demon in the distance, Midori turned and started making her way back to her home. It was the first and last time she had ever lied to the Lord of the Western Lands, but that's not what bothered her. What bothered her the most was if she was making the right decision? The right decision for their son. _

* * *

><p>That was the last time Sesshoumaru ever saw Midori. He searched around, but didn't find anything. The land was baron. No sign of life anywhere. It took Sesshoumaru almost a week to get there, and he wasn't about to leave until he got some answers. In the distance, he caught the scent of something, but he couldn't quite tell what it was as it was very faint. Heading towards the smell, it became clearer to him. It was his half-brother, Inuyasha. Inuyasha and his friends were once here, but why?<p>

Sesshoumaru figured he would not get any answers by wandering around aimlessly, so decided to follow the scent of his half-brother. They may have been here a week earlier, but he knew they wouldn't have gone far, especially since there were humans travelling with him.

* * *

><p>Miroku and Sango were off collecting more firewood, accompanied by Kirara and Shippo. Kagome, Inuyasha and Senomaru sat around the dwindling fire in a very awkward silence. Kagome twiddled her thumbs thinking of a way to strike up a conversation.<p>

"Sooo…Senomaru" Kagome started. Senomaru looked over at her, but said nothing, just waited for the human to speak.

"Do you know where your father is?" Kagome asked curiously.

Senomaru sat up and thought for a moment. "I know _who_ he is, but not _where_ he is…"

"Why didn't you go looking for him?" Inuyasha asked, joining the conversation out of complete boredom.

"I don't know…Midori told me that Se—my father doesn't know I exist. She said it was better that way…"

Kagome gave a sorrowful look. The conversation returned to an awkward silence, however, the awkward silence soon withered as Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo returned from collecting firewood.

"You just couldn't help yourself…could you Miroku?" Shippo said disappointedly.

"What? I thought she was alone…" Miroku replied as he placed more wood into the fire. Sango sat down next to Kagome, by the looks of it; she wasn't in a happy mood either.

"What happened Sango?" Kagome asked concerned.

"Why don't you ask him?" Sango exclaimed, pointing at Miroku. With a noticeable huff, Sango got up and made her way to the other side of the camp where she set up her blanket, and went straight to sleep. Everyone could tell Miroku must've done something to piss her off; otherwise Sango wouldn't be in this mood.

"Alright…what did Miroku do _this_ time?" Inuyasha sighed.

"A young girl was travelling down the road and Miroku couldn't help himself but offer help (and to bare his children) only to then realise she was actually travelling with her husband…Sango had to come save the day…" Shippo explained.

Inuyasha and Kagome sighed disappointedly. Miroku was up to his old tricks again. Senomaru looked on with interest. By the tone in their 'sighs' and the fact they all repeated 'this time' obviously meant this was a regular thing. Senomaru couldn't help but unconsciously give a small chuckle. Kagome looked at him in surprise, and then gave a meaningful smile.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Senomaru quickly snapped, wiping the grin off his face.

"It's the first time I've heard you laugh…and mean it…" Kagome replied.

Senomaru was shocked for a moment. "S-so? What's wrong with slightly laughing?" He stuttered.

"I know it must've hurt when your mother died…so seeing you laugh is a sign that you're going to be okay…" she replied sincerely.

Senomaru huffed at the idea. "Demons don't need pathetic emotions like that. Even if a family member were to die, they just move on." It was obviously a lie, but Senomaru didn't want to appear weak in front of mere _humans_. Inuyasha gave a small smirk. He knew why he said those things; after all, Inuyasha was like him once. Right after he lost his mother.

"Besides, we only met the other night…so don't get so happy human…" Senomaru quickly snapped.

Kagome gave a loud sigh. "My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me!"

"Why should I bother learning your name?"

"Ya 'know, you sound an awful lot like Inuyasha once." Kagome frowned.

"Ugh…don't compare me to that half-breed…"

"Now you sound like Sesshoumaru…" Inuyasha butt in.

Senomaru twitched before frowning at the half-breed. He quickly shook it off and made his way to a tree. "I'm going to sleep, don't disturb me…" he snapped as he sat down, leaning against the tree and closed his eyes. Both Inuyasha and Kagome rolled their eyes. They barely knew Senomaru, so they decided to leave the matter. Over time they knew they'd be able to get closer to him, but for now, they had to give him space. He was still a young demon after all.

…

The following day, the group had a quick breakfast, and then began packing up their belongings so that they could head out. Sango, who was still ignoring Miroku because of his incompetence, was putting out the fire, and getting rid of any leftover food around the area. Kagome, with the help of Shippo, was packing all their supplies and folding up their sleeping blankets, packing them away. Miroku and Inuyasha were clearing their scents from the area, in case they were being followed by any trouble.

This of course made it difficult for Sesshoumaru who was trying to catch up to the group. Even though Inuyasha and Miroku did a superb job of clearing their scents, Sesshoumaru could still smell the remains of his hanyou half-brother.

Kagome saw Senomaru still sitting under the tree, so walked over and held out her hand, gesturing him to take it. "Senomaru, can you please come with me to wash these blankets?"

"No" he replied bluntly.

Kagome sighed. "Can you PLEASE come?"

"No"

"Please?"

"No"

Kagome frowned and looked down at him. He ignored her glare and just continued relaxing like he didn't have a care in the world. Inuyasha was snickering in the background at Kagome's failing attempts to get Senomaru to cooperate.

She sighed and took a deep breath, calming herself down before speaking again. "Senomaru…the more you help, the quicker we'll be out of here…"

"Your point?"

"Well…don't…you- UGHH!" Kagome yelled. She took another deep breath and waited. Senomaru didn't look as though he was going to move anytime soon. Instead he just continued to lay under the tree and relax.

"You're blocking my sunlight…do you mind moving to the side a bit…"

Kagome's eye twitched as he demanded his request. '_What a…a…spoilt brat!_' she thought to herself. Joining Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku began snickering behind her back. They were unaware that she could hear them clearly. She quickly turned her head and glared at them, so they wiped the grin off their face and continued cleaning up.

"You know human…if you're asking a demon to clean, you must be pretty bad at it yourself. You should start using those skills humans are suppose to have and learn to clean up quickly. Like the hanyou over there…" Senomaru gestured, pointing over at Inuyasha.

"THAT'S IT!" Kagome snapped. Everyone looked up at the screaming miko and sighed, knowing what to expect. "Oh no…here it comes…" Sango commented.

"YOU'RE WORSE THAN INUYASHA YOU SPOILED LITTLE DEMON!"

"Hey wa-"

"AND MY NAME ISN'T HUMAN, ITS KAGOME. KA-GO-ME. NOT HUMAN. KAGOME. K.A.G.O.M.E"

"Okay bu-"

"AND SINCE YOU'RE NOW TRAVELLING WITH US, YOU BETTER TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY. I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE A DEMON!"

Before Senomaru could even get a breath in, Kagome grabbed him by the tip of his ear, picked up the dirty blankets, and started heading down to the river bank, dragging Senomaru behind her.

"H-hey! Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Senomaru tried to pull away, but his attempts were in vain.

The others looked on as the demon child was stormed off by the miko. They all sighed. They knew what it was like facing Kagome's wrath. Her usual happy demeanour was all a show. She gained the extra, aggressive personality, thanks to Inuyasha and his antics.

Kagome dragged Senomaru all the way to the river, then sat him down on the bank, throwing a blanket over his head. She sat down next to him and began washing the blanket in the water.

Senomaru growled as he took the blanket off his head and looked at the miko.

"Hey hu-"

Kagome shot him a quick glare, threatening that if he said the next word he would regret it dearly.

Senomaru propped himself up and cleared his throat. "Kagome…what's the big idea?"

"You were acting like a spoilt brat. We are all friends here and we all look out for each other. That also means that we each take responsibility to help out whenever we can. I know myself that I am not the best fighter. Neither is Shippo. But we try our hardest to protect our friends. This also means that we do our best to help out with the small things. Like cooking, cleaning and healing. It may not be much, but it's all we can do. Everyone knows that, that's why we don't complain and we each take part in the responsibility."

Senomaru went silent as he listened to Kagome's words. They were deep and had a very dark feeling to them. He watched as she continued to wash the blanket, not daring to look at him during the whole speech. Without saying anything, he picked up the soap Kagome brought with her and began scrubbing the blanket.

She peeked over to see him, surprisingly he wasn't doing too bad of job, but his talons were restricting him from doing the job better.

"rry…" he whispered.

"Huh?" Kagome turned her attention to him.

"I'm…sorry…" he said, facing the opposite direction of Kagome. She smiled before turning back to the blanket. She finished washing it and so, stretched it out, rinsing out all the water before folding it up. She waited for Senomaru to finish before they left.

Senomaru soon after finished cleaning, and rinsed it out, folding it in a similar, but messier way to Kagome's folded blanket. She smirked before switching blankets and folding it properly. A sudden gush of wind caused her to accidently let go of the blanket and blow away. They looked up and saw a dark cloud pass overhead. Snow began dropping rapidly and the white fog caused them to lose sight of anything.

"W-what's going on?" Kagome said, shivering at the cold wind that continually blew past.

"It's a blizzard…" Senomaru said coldly.

"What?" she exclaimed in surprise. "But…it was clear a minute ago…"

"These lands are dangerous. Cold weather strikes almost instantaneously…we better find cover before we freeze…"

Senomaru grabbed Kagome by the arm, and started pulling her up the hill. The snow was disabling him from using his senses and couldn't tell which way it was to the others. He looked around the best he could but couldn't find the way. They trudged further onwards, winds picking up speed and temperatures dropping rapidly. Kagome's skin began turning pale, almost blue from the cold. The weather was hailing down, and the snow beneath their feet was rising. Each step they took had to be deeper and longer.

A rumbling noise was heard in the distance. Senomaru and Kagome looked up in the direction they heard it and saw a giant chunk of snow beginning to collapse on the side of a mountain. An avalanche. Senomaru held onto Kagome's hand tightly and began running, pulling the girl from behind. The snow was catching up fast, and the pair were running out of time.

The two dashed through the trees and came to the base of a cliff.

"We're trapped!" Kagome yelled.

Senomaru looked around desperately and saw a small crack in the cliff.

"Quick! In here…"

The two barely squeezed through, but they made it. As they went further in, it began to get wider and wider. Eventually, it turned into a small cave, but they could look up at the sky. The winds couldn't reach so far down, but it was still brutally cold. The rocks had traces of frost on them, and the ground was extremely slippery, almost as if it was actual ice.

The cliff was at least 150m (492 ft) tall, and with all the snow covering the rocks, they weren't going to try to climb out. They felt the ground shake as the avalanche collided with the side of the cliff. Not too much snow seeped through, but it certainly blocked their way of escaping. Senomaru and Kagome had no choice but to wait.

Using a few twigs and a match she had in her pocket, Kagome managed to make a small fire. She sat closely to it, trying to warm up her freezing body. Senomaru remained standing, leaning against the rocky wall. Kagome looked up and noticed that he to, was pale, yet he wasn't shivering like she was.

"Aren't you cold Senomaru?"

"No" he replied instantly. He saw Kagome still looking at him, as if she expected him to elaborate further on his answer. Senomaru sighed. "I'm a demon and I've grown up with this harsh weather…it has no effect on me."

"Oh…" she replied. "I hope…Inuyasha finds us soon…" she said in between shivers.

"Are you really that cold?"

"Y-yes…it's freezing! Don't forget I'm human…"

Senomaru looked down at Kagome. He remembered he was still holding the wet blanket in his hand. He put the blanket near the fire, hoping to warm it up quicker so that Kagome could use it as extra warmth. He glanced over at Kagome's hands that were stretched out across the fire. They were dark blue. Instantly he knew she was getting frostbite.

"Damn…" he said accidently aloud.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Uh…no, never mind. Don't worry…" he assured her, trying not to get her worked up. '_Inuyasha…if you don't find us soon…Kagome could…_' his thoughts were interrupted when the fire began fading. There were no more twigs nearby and the fire was nearly out.

"Kagome…can you please stand back for a minute…"

"Uh…sure…" she said cautiously before standing up and moving away.

"Kuro-hi" he whispered under his breath. Senomaru's hand lit a black flame, but did not burn him. He placed his hand in the fading fire and it re-lit. It was larger, and had a tinge of the black in the middle of the flame. Kagome cautiously walked back over, feeling the warmth of it as she edged closer.

"Don't come to close…this is demonic fire. If you touch it, you won't just burn, it will tear away at your flesh…" he said, warning her in a cold, lifeless tone.

She nodded and sat a few inches away from the flame.

They remained silent for a few minutes, listening to the wind that echoed through the slit of the cliff, and the chattering of Kagome's teeth. Whenever she wasn't looking, Senomaru would peek over to inspect the condition of her frost bite. Unlike humans, most demons would not be effected by common diseases that humans can catch, which is why for most demons, it was better to live in lands where humans would not venture to. The silence was broken when Kagome began coughing dramatically; clenching her throat each time she coughed.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, sounding a little concerned.

"No- *coughing* Okay…maybe a little…"

Senomaru sighed. He didn't know how to take care of a human, and wasn't sure how long she'd last either. If anything happened to her, he knew Inuyasha would probably kick his ass.

"Senomaru…"

"Hnn…"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hnn…"

"I thought…I might just ask…who is your father?"

Senomaru stared into the flame for a moment. Not many people knew who his father was. Midori did her best to keep it a secret. Senomaru thought it was for their safety, but once he learnt who his father was, his idea changed. She wasn't keeping it a secret to protect them. She was keeping it a secret to protect **his** pride.

Senomaru looked up into Kagome's eyes. His expression was cold and emotionless, even more than usual. For some reason, he felt great anger towards his father. Probably because he felt as though he was abandoned by him, even though it was Midori's decision.

Kagome's eyes widened as he said his name… "Lord Sesshoumaru"


	4. Saved

The wind whispered in his ears, and his shadow warned all not to cross him. He was known throughout all of the Western Lands as their Lord. He was, in all honesty, untouchable. Sesshoumaru continued down his path, following the weak scent of his half brother, Inuyasha. It wasn't long til he found himself facing a tough predicament. His brother's scent went one way, whilst the scent of a demon and the young miko went the other. The miko never left Inuyasha's side, yet her scent was in a completely different direction.

"Hnn. That wench doesn't concern me." He said in his usual lifeless tone of voice.

Sesshoumaru began making his way down the path that led to his half brother; yet, something was preventing him from going any further.  
>Tenseiga began shaking rapidly, as if telling him that he was going the wrong way.<p>

"Tenseiga…?"

Sesshoumaru took a few extra steps, just to make sure. The sword of healing continued to shake. He narrowed his eyes and held onto the hilt of his sword. He turned around and began making his way through the snowy trees, following the scent of the miko and a demon.

The trail eventually led to a small clearing and a small mound of snow leaning against a very tall cliff. He sniffed the air again, just to make sure he didn't take a wrong turn. He didn't. The miko was definitely behind the snow.

Sesshoumaru pulled out his Tokijin and raised it above his head, ready to strike down. Suddenly, he heard someone coughing. It was the miko.

"Still alive?" he questioned. If he went to strike, he would risk injuring, or even killing her. Sesshoumaru had come too far to get no answers, so re-sheathed his sword. He raised his right hand and it began glowing green. He aimed at the snow and used his poison to melt it away. Once the snow was cleared, a small crack in the side of the cliff was revealed.

Inside the crack of the cliff, Senomaru was lying in wait, smelling that of a demon, suspecting it had come for food. When the snow was melted, and he smelled the demon standing there, he stopped to wonder why?

'_It can't be Inuyasha…this is the scent of a very powerful full-fledged demon…_' he thought. He looked over at Kagome who was lying on the ground, covered in the no longer wet blanket, still shivering from the coldness. Despite his attempts, she was growing weaker by the minute.

'_I have no choice but to pull her out, and wait to see who is out there…_" he thought.

Senomaru sniffed the air one more time to check if the demon was making a move. Nothing. He kept the blanket wrapped around Kagome, and put her on his shoulder. It was lucky he was a demon, so he had the strength to lift her, despite being a child. Senomaru cautiously made his way out of the cave. When he didn't see any demon outside, he grew worried. The scent was still there, but he couldn't pinpoint it. He laid Kagome down on the snow, and did another quick scan of the area.

Unaware, standing on a ledge on the cliff up above, stood Sesshoumaru, sword at the ready. '_A demon child…?_' he thought. He dismissed the idea and charged.

Senomaru quickly sensed the attack, and grew his talons so they were now the same length of a sword, and blocked, being pushed down on his back to the ground.

'_He blocked…_' Sesshoumaru thought, a little disappointed, but impressed at the same time.

"Sesshoumaru…" Senomaru said out loud, without realising it until he had already said it.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, almost unnoticeably, then he moved himself from atop the boy and put away his sword.

"You. What are you doing with this wench?" Sesshoumaru demanded. The boy got up and dusted the snow off his clothes. Sesshoumaru took that moment to inspect him. He wore such similar clothing to himself, and even wore the representations of royalty.

Was Naraku telling the truth? No. Sesshoumaru didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it, and so, he dismissed the idea entirely.

"The name is Senomaru." He snapped. "Kagome and I were caught in a blizzard and got separated from our fr—"he paused. "Companions." He finished.

Sesshoumaru didn't care much for the details; he simply stared at the boy, who in turn, returned the gaze. There was a moment of silence, but the silence was soon broken by someone coughing frantically. They both turned their heads at the miko. Kagome was lying on the ground, wrapped in the blanket, yet, her skin was pale, and the tips of her fingers were a dark purple. She was sick. Very sick.

Sesshoumaru simply huffed thinking '_What a waste of time…_' then began walking away. Senomaru snarled and ran over to Kagome to inspect her health.

"Heartless…" he whispered under his breath, unaware that Sesshoumaru had heard him.

"Excuse me?" Sesshoumaru asked coldly, turning his head ever so slightly to peek over his shoulder at the boy.

Senomaru paused to think of a response, but before he had time to truly think, he blurted out what he really felt. "You're good at walking away from people when they need you the most…"

Sesshoumaru turned his body around, again, fully facing Senomaru once more.

"A boy should not speak out of terms when he does not know what he is talking about." Sesshoumaru answered with slight anger in his tone.

Senomaru's eyes were full of hatred, as if he was ready to attack at any moment, yet, this is the first time Sesshoumaru had met him. Naraku's words kept lingering in the back of Sesshoumaru's mind, but he continued to ignore them, accepting that they were nothing but lies and taunts to get him on edge.

Senomaru took a breath and turned back to Kagome. He sat next to her, feeling her forehead for her temperature. She was cold. Felt like touching ice on a winter's day.

Sesshoumaru looked around, smelling the air. Inuyasha's scent was gone and Kagome was now growing weaker by the second. He gazed over at Senomaru who no longer had hatred in his eyes, but instead, worry and concern.

"Sesshoumaru…" Senomaru said softly.

"Hnn"

"I've heard rumours…that you travel with a human girl?"

"What is your point?"

"If Kagome was your human companion and Inuyasha was standing here, instead of you. Would you want him to stand around and do nothing, even if it was in his power to help?"

His words were soft, but harsh. You could even say it hurt Sesshoumaru a little thinking about it. He hated his father for dying for a mere human, yet, if he were asked whether or not he would take his own life for Rin, he could not answer. Not even his pride would allow him to answer such a question.  
>Sesshoumaru found himself being reminded of Midori. She always knew what to say to get under someone's skin, including the great Sesshoumaru.<p>

'_Impossible…_' he thought. It took Sesshoumaru a couple of minutes to think of a response, but even then, he was still unsure.

"No." he simply responded. He had a feeling he knew what Senomaru would say next, just by looking at him. Once again, they went silent. Tenseiga began shaking rapidly again and Sesshoumaru had to force it down with his hand so Senomaru wouldn't notice.

'_What do you want me to do Tenseiga?_' Sesshoumaru questioned in his mind. Another sniff of the air and he smelt something. It was the Tessaiga. Was Sesshoumaru's sword shaking because the Tessaiga was close by? Or was it a completely different reason. Soon after, Sesshoumaru sniffed the air again, taking in a deeper breath and just caught the scent of Inuyasha.

"If I leave her to search for Inuyasha…she'll die…" Senomaru said aloud, directing it to no one in particular, though Sesshoumaru knew the reasoning behind it. He snarled then lifted off the ground, flying in the air. A few miles ahead, on the other side of the cliff was Inuyasha and the others, frantically looking for Kagome and Senomaru.  
>Sesshoumaru growled, almost feeling sick at what he was about to do. Perhaps this was the result of having Rin accompany him for so long. Once he landed on the ground, not too far away from Inuyasha, the Tenseiga stopped shaking.<p>

'_So this is what you wanted me to do?_' he thought.

Inuyasha smelt his brother close by and readied the Tessaiga, charging out of the forest. It was almost like an instantaneous action to go after his brother when he appeared; after all, it always meant trouble was close by.

"SESSHOUMARU!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping out of the trees, soon followed by Miroku, Sango and then Shippo.

"Hmph" was his silent response. "Still searching for your wench like a lost puppy Inuyasha…" he said sarcastically.

"Grrr…what the hell do you want?"

"Answers"

"Answers? What the hell do you want answers for? And what makes you think I'm gonna give them to you…"

"If you want to save your wench, you will answer my questions…"

Inuyasha froze. Sesshoumaru knew where Kagome was, and by the sounds of it, was not going to give away her location until he got what he came for. '_Bastard…_' Inuyasha thought, scrunching up his face, pissed off that he was being blackmailed by his own brother. Miroku and Sango were quite surprised as well. Usually Sesshoumaru didn't play such dirty tricks, but obviously he wanted something and this was the only way to get it.

"Fine…what are your stupid questions?"

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, a little irritated by Inuyasha's rudeness. "What are you doing in the heart of the Western Lands…?"

The group paused for a moment. Inuyasha took the time to think of a proper response, he knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't take kindly to simple answers, and if this was the only way he could find Kagome, he had no choice.

Luckily, the smart monk was the one to save the day, knowing that Inuyasha would never be able to cope with answering a question properly or to Sesshoumaru's standards. "We got a lead on Naraku, which led us to here. Unfortunately we didn't find any trace of him, but we did get a few answers."

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. "What of the demon boy who is travelling with you?"

"Senomaru? Why the heck do you care about him?" Inuyasha snapped. Sesshoumaru simply glared at him, waiting for a proper answer.

"His mother was killed and we fear Naraku may come after him because he knows something of importance to Naraku, so he is travelling with us." Miroku answered quickly before Inuyasha did any damage.

It seemed Naraku wasn't lying entirely when he came to visit Sesshoumaru a few weeks ago, but he wasn't going to believe every word he said.

"Your wench is with the demon child on the other side of the cliff." Sesshoumaru said with his expressionless tone.

Inuyasha re-sheathed his sword and jumped, heading for the cliff whilst Miroku and Sango hopped on Kirara and started flying above it not far behind Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru stood there for a moment, rethinking the monk's words. '_His mother was killed and we fear Naraku may come after him because he knows something of importance to Naraku, so he is travelling with us._' If that was true, then Senomaru would probably be in danger, but Sesshoumaru let that thought pass by.

"So Inuyasha will find Naraku first because of that boy…" he growled. He didn't like the idea of his half brother succeeding in catching Naraku first. It was time Sesshoumaru played a little dirty with his half brother.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the cliff, Senomaru held onto Kagome's hand, trying desperately to warm her up. He lit another fire and he kept his senses up to make sure no demons could smell the human.<p>

'_Sesshoumaru better have found Inuyasha…_' he thought, growing very worried of the situation. Suddenly, he caught the scent of a hanyou racing towards them. It was Inuyasha, and the others weren't far behind him.  
>Inuyasha jumped down from the cliff and landed next to Senomaru and Kagome, soon followed by Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo.<p>

"Senomaru are you alright? What happened…" Sango asked concerned, leaning down next to Kagome and propping her up with another blanket.

"We got caught in the blizzard and lost our way back. Then an avalanche collapsed so we had to run for cover. We ended up getting trapped inside that crack over there but Se—" Senomaru cleared his throat. "Sesshoumaru got us out…" he deadpanned.

"He did?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically and in surprise.

"Yes"

"That's a first…"

"Well he did come here for answers, so he probably came across Kagome and Senomaru first." Miroku added.

"Well I don't care why he came! All I wanna know is if Kagome will be alright…"

"She's very sick Inuyasha…we need to get her back to Kaede's village as soon as possible." Sango demanded.

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome who was beginning to wheeze as she tried to take in breaths of air. It wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but blame himself. He leant down and put Kagome on his back and took off without a second thought.

"Senomaru, do you think you can keep up?" Miroku asked as he hopped on Kirara behind Sango.

"Tch. You realise you're talking to a demon ya 'know…" he replied scornfully.

Kirara took off and Senomaru took to the sky, keeping up with Kirara and even flying faster than she was. Kaede's village was quite a fair bit away, but they didn't have time to stop. Kagome's life was in danger.

* * *

><p>They travelled for nearly a week without stopping, but now, even Inuyasha couldn't continue any further. He needed rest, and quite frankly, the others desperately needed it to.<p>

It was early afternoon and they set up a small camp with a well-lit fire, placing Kagome as close to the fire as possible. Sango made sure to never leave her side, whilst Miroku did his best to make-do with the supplies they had to keep her feeling better. Usually when they camped, Inuyasha would go off in search of Naraku's scent, but this time he stayed. He stayed like a good little guard dog, watching over Kagome and her health.

'_So this hanyou really cares for her?_' Senomaru thought. Shippo was probably the saddest of them all. He was leaning against Kagome and put her hand over him. He looked very scared and sad. It was obviously harder for him to hide his emotions because he was a really young fox kit. It took a while, but Shippo eventually fell asleep, snugging up to Kagome.

"So what's the story with Shippo?" Senomaru asked.

"Shippo?" Sango repeated.

"How did such a young fox kit join your group?"

"Oh…"

"Well, it's a little sad for him to speak about. He was originally living with his father until the thunder brothers killed his father and he went to Inuyasha and Kagome for help. Once Inuyasha defeated them, he ended up travelling with him and Kagome." Miroku answered.

"So he lost his family too huh?" Senomaru said sarcastically.

Miroku and Sango went silent. How were they supposed to respond to that. Occasionally they'd glance over at Inuyasha, but he didn't seem like he was going to participate in any conversation anytime soon. The atmosphere was dense. The tall trees that surrounded them seemed that little bit taller. The grass underneath seemed that much more graceful. They were no longer in 'snowy' areas so it was a lot warmer than before. Hopefully enough to keep Kagome safe for a little bit.

Later into the night, Miroku and Sango had fallen asleep, which meant only Inuyasha and Senomaru were still awake. The whole night Inuyasha didn't take his eyes off Kagome.

Senomaru sighed. "Don't blame yourself…it wasn't your fault, I was the one with her ya 'know?"

"But you're just a kid. It doesn't matter if you were with her…there wasn't much you could do…" Inuyasha replied.

Senomaru twitched. He didn't like being referred to as 'kid' in that manner. "At least I was there to keep her alive Inuyasha…"

"Yeah…yeah"

Again, he twitched. "Fine. I'm going for a walk…" Senomaru stood up and stormed off. Inuyasha's eyes followed him as he left the camp. '_Kid…_' he thought.

"Damn that Inuyasha…" Senomaru said to himself. "Demons shouldn't even be caring for humans in the first place…so why did I save her life? I don't know…" Senomaru found himself talking to himself as he continued walking through the trees. He got to a point where he could no longer see the fire from the camp. He looked up into the stars and watched as one shot across the sky.

He sighed again. "Midori…I miss you…"

"Midori?" A cold voice called out from the distance.

Senomaru was a little shocked. The scent finally reached him. It was Sesshoumaru.

"You again?" Senomaru said, turning around to see Sesshoumaru emerge from the darkness.

"Hnn"

"What brings you here this time?"

"I didn't come to answer questions. I came to ask them." He deadpanned.

"Fine. Ask away."

Sesshoumaru twitched slightly. This boy was certainly brave to speak out of terms. Perhaps it was because he was taught to never stand down – that is what Midori always did.

"How do you know Midori?"

"…"

"Answer" he said threateningly.

"She…was a friend of my mother…"

"You're lying" Sesshoumaru said coldly, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"No I'm not!"

He huffed and dismissed the question. Obviously Senomaru wasn't going to tell him the truth. With all honesty, Sesshoumaru didn't want to hear it either.

"Is Naraku coming after you?"

"…"

"Well?" Sesshoumaru waited.

"I may have something he wants…yes"

"Good."

"Good?" Senomaru asked confused. He answered the questions, but he didn't understand what they meant or why Sesshoumaru would be interested.

Sesshoumaru began walking over to the boy. "Don't struggle." He said. Bad choice of words.

"S-struggle?" Senomaru said, backing away slowly.

Sesshoumaru again narrowed his eyes. He reached out his arm and grabbed onto Senomaru's shoulder. He pulled him close and tightly held him in his grip, then took to flight.

"HEY!" Senomaru yelled, trying to pull away. Sesshoumaru looked down threateningly as if to say 'Struggle and you'll be hurt'. Senomaru was confused. What was Sesshoumaru doing. Kidnapping? Why?

Down below, Inuyasha was drifting in and out of sleep until he heard something in the distance. He looked up and saw Sesshoumaru flying overhead.

'Sesshoumaru?' he thought, a little confused. He looked closer and saw Senomaru tightly amidst Sesshoumaru's grip, unable to escape without probably being attacked by Sesshoumaru himself.

"SENOMARU!" Inuyasha called out, waking everyone else up.

"Inuyasha…what's going on?" Miroku asked worriedly.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha said, smashing his hand on the ground.

"Inuyasha?" Sango questioned. "What happened?"

"Senomaru went for a walk and now Sesshoumaru has him…"

"What? Why?" Miroku and Sango gasped.

"How am I supposed to know? Dammit. I shouldn't have let him wander off…"

"Calm down Inuyasha…"

Miroku and Sango turned to each other, both nodding in agreement. Without even saying anything, they knew what they were going to do.

"Inuyasha…" Miroku began.

"What?" he snapped back.

"We'll go after Senomaru…your job is to take care of Kagome and get her back to Kaede's village." Miroku responded.

Inuyasha looked at the two who were both ready to go, even if Inuyasha protested. Inuyasha looked over at Kagome before turning back to Miroku and Sango. He knew he had to get Kagome to safety, and he knew Miroku and Sango were strong fighters, but, Sesshoumaru was stronger. He was a fully-fledged demon and although can't wield the Tessaiga, he is still powerful. It didn't matter in the end though. Miroku and Sango were already mounting Kirara and took off.

"Sesshoumaru…" Inuyasha growled under his breath. "What is your plan?"


	5. Naraku's Attack

It was a long and rather quiet flight, but finally Sesshoumaru decided to land and walk for the rest of the journey. He still had not said anything after he _kidnapped_ Senomaru and gave a threatening look that if he tried to escape, he would suffer the consequences dearly.

Senomaru walked ahead where Sesshoumaru could keep an eye on him. They were heading through a dense rainforest where their scents would easily vanish. The scent of Inuyasha and the others was now long gone and Senomaru had no choice but to follow orders. One thing continued to bother him. Why did Sesshoumaru kidnap him in the first place? It was time he finally found out.

"Sesshoumaru…" he said quietly, but loud enough for Sesshoumaru to pick up.

"Hnn"

"Why did you kidnap me?"

"Kidnap?" Sesshoumaru asked in disbelief. '_Is kidnapping my own son a crime?_' he thought, but quickly shook his head to get that idea out of his mind.

"What else would you call it?"

"Borrowing"

"Borrowing?"

"Naraku wants something from you and will do anything to get it." He said coldly, as if that answered everything.

Senomaru didn't bother to push the matter; after all, Sesshoumaru was a man of few words.

"So I'm nothing but a tool then…"

Sesshoumaru went silent. The conversation was over. Senomaru looked over his shoulder and stared at the cold, emotionless demon that walked a few metres behind him. He pondered; curious as to if Inuyasha and the others would come for him. The only reason why they would bother is because they want to kill Naraku as much as Sesshoumaru did. It didn't bother Senomaru either way. All he wanted was to get revenge on his mother's death.

Another day had passed by and finally they came into a clearing. It was a small, but very well-hidden flower meadow. In the middle of the meadow, there was a giant yokai demon with two heads sleeping under the sun. Leaning against it was a small kappa demon, also snoring away, probably in a deep slumber. Not too far from the two demons was a young human girl in a checkered white and orange kimono playing with the flowers. She had a bright smile plastered across her face and after Sesshoumaru came into view she called out "Lord Sesshoumaru!" with great excitement, almost as if she was going to run up and hug him.

The small kappa demon awoke and looked over at the girl. "Rin! Haven't I told you before not to wake me when I'm having a nap! What are you screaming about this time?"

"Master Jaken! Lord Sesshoumaru has returned!" she laughed.

Jaken looked over with great surprise. He quickly awoke Ah-Un; the two headed demon, and ran over to his lord.

"L-Lord Sesshoumaru!" he called out, tripping on a small rock and landing directly at his feet.

Rin also ran over and spotted Senomaru standing beside her lord. She was rather curious why there was a demon with him, but she was more excited for the fact he didn't seem much older than she was – seeing him as a playful companion.

"Jaken. Rin. This is Senomaru. He will be travelling with us for a while." Sesshoumaru said bluntly, though it more so seemed like an order.

"M-M'lord? Why is this demon boy travelling with us now? Do you care to explain?" Jaken asked nervously.

"No" was the cold response he received.

Rin walked over to Senomaru and held out a bunch of white lily flowers.

"My name is Rin. It's nice to meet you Senomaru" she smiled.

Sesshoumaru walked forward but peered over his shoulder to see how Senomaru would react to the human child. From a young age, demons were taught to hate humans and, especially for those that ate them, were taught how to quickly kill them when confronted.

Senomaru looked down at the flowers then back up at Rin who was still smiling brightly at him. He held out his hand and motioned her to put the flowers in his grasp.

Senomaru did not smile, but gently responded "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

Rin giggled. "You look a lot like Lord Sesshoumaru! Do you know each other, like family or something?"

Jaken put his hand to his chin and inspected the boy more. "Now that she mentions it, he does look a lot like you M'lord…" Jaken stated. "M'lord?" He looked up. A towering body of evil aura stood over him, warning him not to push the topic any further. Sesshoumaru's face did not change, but his eyes were like daggers, piercing into Jaken's soul.

'_I…I guess he doesn't want to talk about it…_' Jaken thought as an icy cold shiver ran down his spine.

Sesshoumaru walked over to a tall shaded tree and sat underneath it, propping one leg up so he could rest his arm on his knee. Jaken and Rin looked over. It seemed they were not going to leave yet; after all, Sesshoumaru had been gone for a long time and probably wanted a short break.

Jaken took a hold of Ah-Un's reins and led him over to a grassy patch where he could graze. Rin placed the flowers in Senomaru's hand, and ran off to go pick more. Senomaru looked down at the flowers and watched as the breeze moved their petals even amidst his tight grip. He looked up and observed his surroundings. Rin was back where he first saw her, happily playing with the flowers in the meadow. Jaken was standing with Ah-Un, watching over Rin from a distance, whilst Sesshoumaru sat, under a tree, closing his eyes to rest.

'_I wonder what it would've been like…if he never left Midori…_'

The thought diminished. He couldn't help but silently titter at the idea. Senomaru then sat down among the flowers and watched Rin playing in the distance, listening to the sound of the wind that passed by every so often.

* * *

><p>"We've lost them…" Miroku said aloud, hanging his head in disappointment.<p>

Sango sighed. "Sesshoumaru is too fast for us…" she paused, looking down at Kirara who was slowing down and growing weaker by the minute. They had been travelling for a long time; even Kirara had reached her limit. "…We'll stop to refresh ourselves. Then we'll keep looking!" she answered with determination.

Miroku nodded in agreement. The trio went ahead and landed near a fresh-water river. Kirara turned back into her smaller demon-self and collapsed in Sango's arms. She was obviously exhausted from the flight and needed a good rest before she could take them any further. Miroku went ahead and refilled their water supplies, also pouring a small amount in a bowl for Kirara to drink out of to help her replenish her energy.

"She is a good demon…" Miroku commented as he watched Kirara slurp up the water.

"Yes she is. She's family…" Sango replied.

"Very loyal…"

Sango nodded. It was probably the first time in a while since she had been alone with the monk. For some reason, she felt rather nervous and wasn't sure how to strike up a conversation with him. There was an awkward silence between them, but it gave them both a chance to inspect the area. No villages were nearby and there was a lot of plant life surrounding them. They were surrounded by a lot of old oak trees, very tall, making the forest ahead of them seem much darker than what it was. There was a small path created by stones and grass, leading into the depth of the forest. Miroku and Sango agreed to follow it, unsure of where it would lead them, but hopefully in the same direction Sesshoumaru went through.

It was about 5 hours into their travel until they sensed a strong presence nearby; however, it didn't belong to Sesshoumaru.

"You don't think…"

"Naraku" Miroku said coldly.

The two looked at each other and rushed off in the direction they felt the strong aura. It was no mistaking it, it was definitely Naraku. Kirara transformed back into her large cat form, allowing Miroku and Sango to quickly jump on before soaring through the sky.

"Do you think he's come for Senomaru?" Sango asked.

"That would be logical, but we can't be sure. If it is true though… we can assume that he and Sesshoumaru are close by." Miroku answered.

Kirara let out a loud growl before Sango directed her to fly down into a clearing. Once they landed, Naraku appeared, and he wasn't hiding behind his baboon pelt either, so they felt confident that he wasn't using some sort of puppet.

"The monk and the demon slayer…how interesting. Yet I don't see Inuyasha or that miko travelling with you…" Naraku smirked.

"We're not going to let you harm Senomaru…you've done enough damage already!" Sango exclaimed.

"Is that so?" Naraku laughed sinisterly. "So you've met that demon boy? I guess that confirms that he is the reason why I cannot use the item in question."

Miroku growled under his breath before getting ready to remove his beads, preparing to release his wind tunnel. Unfortunately, Naraku's Saimyosho flew down, which meant if he were to use it, he would get poisoned again. Sango noticed the insects, so quickly stepped in front of Miroku and threw her Hiraikotsu to try and destroy them.

Naraku moved forward, causing Sango's Hiraikotsu to rebound off his barrier, landing in a completely different direction.

"I'd rather not waste time here…" Naraku commented. One of his tentacles that were coming out of his back grew a demonic head and grew longer than it originally was. It detached itself from Naraku and charged towards Sango. She quickly drew her sword and cut it in half. Thinking it was safe, she made a run for her Hiraikotsu…

"SANGO!" Miroku called out.

Sango turned around and realised that the demon had regenerated, clamping down on her shoulder and throwing her into a tree. Miroku and Kirara immediately ran over. The demon charged at Miroku, but he quickly dodged and ran over to Sango. Kirara pounced on the demon and forced it to the ground, keeping it at bay whilst Miroku quickly attended to Sango.

Naraku glared at the demon slayer and the monk. He was growing impatient, so decided to end the battle quickly. He smirked as one of the bones on his armour detached itself, turning into a long spear. He aimed it towards the monk…

Suddenly, a large blue demonic blast came from the trees behind him. Naraku's barrier shielded him, but the blast still caused him to go off balance, forcing him to fly into the air. He growled as he waited for the intruder to reveal themselves.

Miroku and Sango looked up in shock. The one who caused the blast was Sesshoumaru. He revealed himself from the forest and had a disappointed look on his face, obviously from not doing any damage to Naraku. It came as quite a shock to Naraku, a little surprised and confused as to why he saved Inuyasha's friends considering how much he despised his half brother.

"How odd of you to save Inuyasha's friends…"

"It was not my intention." Sesshoumaru replied coldly.

Naraku smirked at him before throwing the spear he had towards Sesshoumaru. He easily dodged it and sent another blast towards Naraku, though it was blocked by his barrier once again.

"Sesshoumaru!" Miroku called out. "Tell me Senomaru is safe!" he asked in concern.

Sesshoumaru simply glanced over at the monk, before returning his attention back to Naraku who was laughing hysterically.

"So you decided to protect your son after all?"

"Son!" Miroku and Sango said in unison.

Sesshoumaru grunted before jumping into the air, going in to strike at Naraku. Once again, Naraku's barrier was put up and Sesshoumaru was forced to jump back, landing swiftly on the ground. Using a quick burst of speed, he jumped again and began pouring his demonic energy into Tokijin, sending another huge blast at close range towards Naraku.

Naraku's eyes widened, but then, just as the blast came into contact with his barrier; he smirked, Sesshoumaru being the only one to notice it. '_I will wipe that smirk off his face…_' he thought.

Once the dust from the attack had settled, they all noticed Naraku was gone.

'_He ran away…?_' Sesshoumaru questioned in his head.

The demon that Kirara was wrestling with also disappeared. Naraku's scent vanished into thin air, as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. Miroku was the first to realise why Naraku had vanished after he finished bandaging Sango's shoulder. Before Sesshoumaru turned to leave, Miroku called out…

"Sesshoumaru! Wait! If Senomaru is still with you, then Naraku has probably gone after him…"

Listening to the monks words, Sesshoumaru quickly realised where Naraku would be heading. He took off in lightning speed. He had to get there before Naraku, or else he may hurt Rin and the others, or worse… kill them.

…

Naraku appeared behind Senomaru and leant out to grab onto his arm. Realising just in time, Senomaru was able to make a quick get-away.

"Naraku!" Senomaru growled.

"My my, have we met before?" Naraku asked sarcastically.

"You bastard!"

"I believe you have something I want…" Naraku smirked. "Don't be foolish like your mother and hand it over."

Senomaru took a step back. Rin ran over and hid behind Ah-Un whilst Jaken ran next to Senomaru, pointing the staff of two heads towards Naraku.

"Lord Sesshoumaru will end you!" Jaken declared.

Naraku simply smirked again. Surprisingly, Senomaru was the one to stand in front of the kappa demon, urging him to stay quiet. He grew his talons and stood in a battle-ready position.

"You intend to fight?"

"I intend to live…"

One of Naraku's thorns grew out again, thrusting itself towards Senomaru. He held up his claws to block, but got pushed back, causing him to have to dig his feet into the ground to keep him from being thrown into the air.

Jaken's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that the boy was protecting him. You could say he was a little touched, in his usual, comical way.

Naraku frowned and brought back his thorn and charged towards Senomaru. Having little time to react, Senomaru blocked but Naraku used one of his large, strong tentacles to throw him up in the air. Senomaru landed just beside Rin with a large thud.

"Senomaru!" Rin called out, running over to him. "Are you alright…?" she asked concerned.

"Foolish girl…go back and hide before you get—RIN!" Senomaru quickly pulled Rin close to him shielding her from the oncoming spear. It pierced him in the back, but it saved Rin's life. Rin was in shock.

Naraku too was in surprise. He didn't expect him to protect her and take the hit instead, but it didn't really matter to him. He began making his way over to the children when suddenly; a large blast blew up between them. He looked towards where the blast originated from. It was Sesshoumaru.

"You certainly have great timing…" Naraku said sarcastically.

Sesshoumaru said nothing and simply glared at Naraku. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a spear sticking out of Senomaru's back. For some reason, Sesshoumaru felt a throbbing pain in his chest as if he himself was stabbed, but he wasn't. '_Is seeing Senomaru hurt like that the cause for this pain?_' He thought. '_How pathetic…I barely know the boy!_'

A Saimyosho flew down from the sky and was floating around near Naraku's head. Naraku's face suddenly changed. He had an angered expression on his face and turned towards Senomaru who was beginning to lose his breath.

"Looks like I'll have to come for you another time…"

Within seconds, Naraku blew himself apart – his body parts turning into ash. "Did he just kill himself?" Jaken asked to no one in particular.

"No…" Sesshoumaru responded. "…he retreated."

"SENOMARU!" Rin suddenly called out in desperation.

Senomaru completely collapsed on his side, passed out from the spear that pierced him in the back, causing him to lose a fair amount of blood. Without thinking, Sesshoumaru ran over to him and pulled the spear out of his back and threw it off into the distance. Jaken and Ah-Un also came over to see his condition.

"W-W-Will he be alright?" Rin asked, her voice going a little scratchy. She was obviously still in shock and a little traumatized from the incident.

"Jaken, take Rin away." Sesshoumaru ordered.

"Yes M'lord!" Jaken replied. He quickly urged Rin to hop on Ah-Un so they could head into the forest where they would be safe. Rin followed Jaken's orders but never took her eyes off of Senomaru. She hoped he would be okay, or else she wouldn't get a chance to thank him for saving her life.

Sesshoumaru kneeled down and lifted Senomaru's head up into his arm. He was still breathing, so he wasn't dead but was merely unconscious. Sesshoumaru could already smell his demonic powers healing the wounds, but being so young, it would take time and he would need lots of rest. He didn't quite understand why, but he didn't want Senomaru to die yet, and it wasn't because he needed him to lure Naraku. Sesshoumaru didn't quite understand himself, but no matter what his heart kept saying, he denied every feeling of it…


	6. Recovery

Kagome squirmed in her sleep, slowly blinking her eyes open and regaining consciousness. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kaede sitting beside her, grinding something within a bowl as if preparing it to be eaten. Further away, near the corner of the hut sat a very worried Inuyasha, fidgeting with his sword as he waited for Kaede.

"Inu… yasha…" Kagome spoke softly.

Inuyasha immediately shot his head up and crawled over to the opposite side of Kagome, taking her hand in his.

"Kagome! You're okay!" he exclaimed with a sort of joy in his eye that he made sure not to show often.

"Yes… I'm fine…"

"Ye has regained consciousness, but should be wary of her body…" Kaede spoke.

Kagome smiled up at her, but nevertheless, she struggled and eventually sat up straight. She looked down at her hands, raising her palms turning them over from one side to the other again and again. They were wrapped in bandages, and although she could see them, she could not feel them. It's as if they were paralysed.

"Kaede-sama… why can't I feel my hands?" Kagome asked with both worry and concern.

"Ye has suffered a case of frostbite… but should recover quickly."

"Is that because of my spiritual powers?"

"And because ye comes from a different time…"

Kagome felt a sense of relief, as did Inuyasha. '_I guess it wasn't a severe case…_' she thought. Kaede finished grinding and handed the bowl to Inuyasha who looked at her questionably.

"Ye must feed her whilst I retrieve some water…"

Before Inuyasha could retaliate, Kaede left the hut. For an old lady, she was still pretty quick. Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, waiting for him to say something. She would've done it herself, but alas the reason why Kaede asked Inuyasha in the first place was because she couldn't do it herself.

In a moment of silence, Inuyasha dipped his fingertips into the grinded grass-like mush and hovered it just in front of Kagome's mouth. Hesitantly, she opened it and Inuyasha dropped the contents inside. They repeated this until the food was gone.

Finally, Kaede returned and held up another small bowl to Kagome where she drank fresh water from the stream. It felt nice as it washed down her throat. Once that was over, Kagome had another quick look around the hut. It didn't change from last time she was there. Boxes filled with Kaede's belongings sat neatly at the back of the hut, some stacked on top of the other as it spread along the wall. In the middle where Kagome lay was the futon she was currently in. Beside her was a cloth and a few other blankets that were already wrapped up, obviously used by Kaede and Inuyasha when she was asleep.

It took her another glance around to realise that Miroku, Sango and Shippo were nowhere to be seen.

"Inuyasha… where's the others?" she asked.

"Shippo is playing somewhere outside…"

"…what about Miroku and Sango?"

Inuyasha paused for a moment. He did not quite know himself where they were. It had been four days since he last saw them. Even he was growing worried, but he wasn't about to leave Kagome's side.

He looked up at Kagome and took a deep breath, planning in his head what he was about to say, but ended up just spurting out the truth. "Sesshoumaru kidnapped Senomaru, but because you were sick, I had to get you back to Kaede as quickly as possible, so Sango and Miroku went after him…"

Kagome's eyes widened in shock, perhaps a little worried even. Sesshoumaru may have saved her life, but if he felt threatened, he wouldn't hesitate to take his opponents life, whether it be friend or foe.

"…They haven't come back yet and they're too far away to track." Inuyasha moved his face so his hair covered his eyes. He raised his arm and bawled his hand into fist, punching at the floor, breaking the wooden floor boards. Kaede wasn't impressed, but she decided to stay seated and say nothing.

"I shouldn't have let them go after Sesshoumaru… I knew I shouldn't have!" he growled. Once again, Inuyasha raised his hand and punched at the ground, breaking more of the floor boards. "He could've already killed Senomaru by now… which is why—"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome interrupted. She sounded more serious than usual. Inuyasha looked up and stared at her as he waited…

"I don't think Sesshoumaru would've killed Senomaru…"

"Are you kidding me? Just because he lets that human girl travel with him, doesn't mean he'll spare that kid's life…"

"Inuyasha is right Kagome… Sesshoumaru isn't a baby-sitter…"

Kagome couldn't help but slightly smile at Kaede's remark, but returned her serious emotion quickly. "That is not the reason Inuyasha…"

"What are you going on about?" he asked in frustration.

"There is something you need to know about Senomaru…"

"What?"

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and looking Inuyasha directly in the eyes. "…Senomaru, is Sesshoumaru's son."

* * *

><p>Senomaru kept his eyes closed, but felt something tickling his nose every few seconds which was disturbing his current, peaceful sleep.<p>

He moved his head slightly, but felt a sharp pain run all the way down his back. He growled and finally decided to open his eyes to get a look at his surroundings, finding the culprit who disturbed his sleep, and the reason his back was in so much agony.

Blinking his eyes open, he looked up and saw that he was currently resting on something large and soft. Looking up further, he saw Sesshoumaru's face. His eyes were closed for he too was in a peaceful, undisturbed sleep.

Slowly gaining the strength to sit up, he looked at what he was laying on. It was Sesshoumaru's mokomoko. The fur from it was the reason his nose was being tickled. Forgetting about the pain earlier, Senomaru went to turn slightly to the left, but another sharp pain ran down his back. He moved his arm so it would slip in at the back of the collar so he could feel his skin. Reaching down, a large scar was torn open in his back but was no longer bleeding brutally.

Senomaru finally remembered what happened. In a moment of desperation, to spare Rin's life, he rolled on top of her and had taken one of Naraku's spears, causing himself to get knocked unconscious.

He sighed, somewhat relieved that he was okay. But how was that possible? The scar was deep and it would've needed help for the bleeding to stop, whether it be the use of a priestess's spiritual power or that of a demon's. Either way, the only conclusion he arrived at was Sesshoumaru. Of course, Senomaru scoffed at the thought, total denial, but there was no other way for him to be feeling the way he was now.

Looking up into the sky, he watched as the millions of stars lit up the night, like fireflies dancing across a black river. A few feet in front of him was a small-lit fire where Rin and Jaken lay next to each other, snugged up in blankets. On the other side was Ah-Un, coiled up like a snake, enjoying the sleep he was in. Tall trees surrounded them and a large boulder that sat atop a small hill to the south seemed to be the only entrance into the small area they were in. The grass was rather long, but it was soft and he could smell a creek nearby, listening as the water trickled down amongst the pebbles.

It was quiet. Peaceful. As if they were hidden from the world around them. Neglecting the scar on his back again, Senomaru turned over so he could get more comfortable, but instead just felt another sharp pain, the worst one he had felt since he awoke.

A light grunt escaped his lips, but he was sure to quickly bite down so he would not disturb anyone.

Once the pain diminished, a small sigh escaped his breath only to then suddenly feel a hand softly touch his shoulder and talons only inches away from digging in to his flesh, but remained at a safe distance.

"Don't move so much." A cold voice silently whispered from behind.

Senomaru turned his head and peeked over his shoulder. Sesshoumaru's eyes were now open and were glaring straight at him. Even if the area was dark, he could see those golden eyes as clear as day.

"Lean back." Sesshoumaru ordered.

Senomaru did as he was told and leaned back into his mokomoko, resting his head softly, but swiftly on it. "Were you the one who helped me?"

"You protected Rin. I merely returned the favour."

Senomaru smirked. "Of course… it would damage your pride if you were to help someone just because you cared."

Sesshoumaru said nothing. He was growing tired of the boy's comebacks, always directed at him personally, even if his name was not always mentioned.

"Rest"

"I can't…"

"Why?"

"I have too much on my mind right now…"

Sesshoumaru once again said nothing and simply looked down at the boy. He acted much more mature than his age, but then again, most demons did. Having a longer life span than humans meant they could retain the look of a young child, but have the mind-set of someone much older and wiser.

Realising that it was pointless to argue, Sesshoumaru leaned his head against the tree and sighed. "What troubles you?" he asked, though his tone didn't sound as though he cared much for the answer.

Senomaru paused for a moment, wondering if he should bother to answer. In the end, even if Sesshoumaru did not care, perhaps speaking aloud might help clear his conscience.

"Naraku was right in front of me… the one who murdered my mother was right there within my reach. Yet I chose to save Rin, a human, instead of attack him."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. He too saved Rin, numerous occasions at that. Did his father start a trend? Were all the male inu yokai of his family cursed to care for humans? It was a humorous thought. A thought Sesshoumaru didn't seem impressed about.

"Another chance will arise." Sesshoumaru finally replied.

"You seem certain…"

"Naraku is a coward, but he will not hide forever."

Senomaru smiled and closed his eyes once again. Reluctant to admit it even to himself, Sesshoumaru was right. There was no reason for things to be rushed. Naraku will show himself again, and next time, Senomaru will be ready.

Curious, Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze and took a small breath as he began to speak… "What does Naraku want from you?"

"Want from me?"

"The reason he came after your mother in the first place…"

"Oh… the Tare-kazari no jigoku."

"Midori's Pendant of Hell?"

"Do you know anything about it?" Senomaru opened his eyes once again, looking up to see if Sesshoumaru would nod.

Instead, Sesshoumaru shook his head. He didn't know anything about it as he did not care much for it.

"The Tare-kazari no jigoku is a powerful pendant that can steal the power of any weapon, or any demon. However, when it is sealed, it takes on the form of two yin and yang necklaces. Only when combined, a full-demon can unlock its power."

"What would Naraku want with that…" Sesshoumaru questioned to no one in particular.

"I don't know… but he went out of his way to get half of it…"

"Half?"

Senomaru once again stared up into Sesshoumaru's golden eyes, then moved his hand over his chest, reaching into his kimono and pulling out a necklace he currently wore. Hanging off it was a blue 'yin' symbol.

It seemed that this is what Naraku needed to unlock its full power. For what purpose, still remained a mystery.

"Naraku is nothing but a pathetic hanyou." Sesshoumaru said coldly as if to make a point.

"Don't you think I don't know that?" Senomaru snapped back. "He won't be able to use it, but he still killed my mother for it… although I know won't be able to wield it, I won't let him get his dirty hands on it."

Sesshoumaru stared at the boy for a moment longer before turning away. He was determined to get revenge for Midori. However, knowing when to compromise when built up on revenge is a difficult thing to learn. Too much revenge and you could lose your life because of the anger you built up. Too little and the enemy can toy with your mind, causing yourself to even question if that was your true desire.

Sesshoumaru knew this all too well, but if Senomaru knew it or not was a different story. Whether Senomaru knew it or not, Sesshoumaru took it upon himself to aid him and teach him so that he could keep his life.

Despite being lost in thought, that did not mean his senses were down. In one quick motion Sesshoumaru stood up with his hand gripped firmly around the hilt of Tokijin. Senomaru too sat up, curious as to the sudden stance.

"What's going on? I can't sense anything…"

"Be quiet." Sesshoumaru ordered.

Senomaru followed the order and remained quiet and still.

From atop the small hill where Senomaru laid eyes on the boulder, a girl wearing a white and red kimono stood, holding a fan and smirking as she looked down at the group.

"My my Sesshoumaru… I never thought Naraku would be telling the truth… but it seems the proof is right in front of me. You do have a son." With a quick flick of her wrist, hurling blades of wind came thrusting towards Sesshoumaru from her fan.

In one quick motion, Sesshoumaru jumped, taking out Tokijin and dismissing the dance of blades.

Before she had time to react, she felt a sharp sword raised at her neck. Sesshoumaru was already next to her with an evil glint in his eyes…

"Kagura…"


End file.
